i dont even know how this is possible



i mean wtf
- senstroll

Here I was thinking that deal was a can't miss after his first year over here. Shows you what giving too much term can do.

Zaitsev isn't trying to cover up for Gardiner or holding back for Gardiner or supporting Gardiner. With a player like Gardiner, you need a more cognizant and defensively aware partner to allow him to wheel. Zaitsev is not overly good at anything other than skating. He's a poor passer, he has a passable shot, he's not strong on the boards, his positional play is average, and his awareness is below average.
- Monkeypunk

Do you even watch bro?

He actually has a canon of a shot and is probably one of the best on the boards breaking up the cycle; he's a below average passer, an above average skater, but dishes to Gardiner or the center to skate the puck out...

I have never once, in all my years of watching professional sports, ever heard any fans boo the team they cheer for until last night. It was an appalling display of poor sportsmanship and I would understand completely if the Leafs quit hockeying until next year.
- UsernameUnknown

Never happened in MSG - NOT ONCE

HOW DO THEY LIVE WITH THEMSELVES!?
- UsernameUnknown

Expect a lot of these going forward...

You mean, someone he can dish the puck to like a grenade in panic, and have said partner skate the puck out cleanly 95% of the time? Oh wait, he has that partner already.
- gravyface

I've heard former players and coaches talk about that very thing - don't make "It's your problem" passes to your partner. You're in trouble, but so is he - so you dish to him.

Gardiner doesn't do it as much as Zaitsev or Hainsey. In fact Hainsey may be the worst on the team at hand grenade passes. The Leafs D do it all too frequently. It's possibly because the forwards fly the zone too early.

Gardiner's not the reason we lost last night. He's not the reason most of the time when we lose. Lose 3-0? Blame the second goal on Gardiner. Lose 4-1? That third goal was all on Gardiner. . .

Most of the time he's trying to make something happening because things aren't happening. It's a bad risk or it's ill executed.

Yes, he screws up. But usually there's a justification behind why. Being outworked by Soderberg last night showed terrible awareness and a lack of effort and strength on the puck. Gardiner is hardly alone in that from last night.

Hear me out here....

Rielly - Zaitsev
Gardiner - Hainsey
Dermott - Ozzy

Do you even watch bro?

He actually has a canon of a shot and is probably one of the best on the boards breaking up the cycle; he's a below average passer, an above average skater, but dishes to Gardiner or the center to skate the puck out...


- gravyface

I watch all the time. His cannon of a shot is good for 0 goals; 9 in his career. The reason the Leafs are so terrible at breaking up the cycle could be because Zaitsev is one of our best at breaking it up. He's not good on the boards - but none of them really are; the team is built for speed.

If you like Zaitsev, that's okay. I think he's absolutely terrible.

I've heard former players and coaches talk about that very thing - don't make "It's your problem" passes to your partner. You're in trouble, but so is he - so you dish to him.

Gardiner doesn't do it as much as Zaitsev or Hainsey. In fact Hainsey may be the worst on the team at hand grenade passes. The Leafs D do it all too frequently. It's possibly because the forwards fly the zone too early.

Gardiner's not the reason we lost last night. He's not the reason most of the time when we lose. Lose 3-0? Blame the second goal on Gardiner. Lose 4-1? That third goal was all on Gardiner. . .

Most of the time he's trying to make something happening because things aren't happening. It's a bad risk or it's ill executed.

Yes, he screws up. But usually there's a justification behind why. Being outworked by Soderberg last night showed terrible awareness and a lack of effort and strength on the puck. Gardiner is hardly alone in that from last night.
- Monkeypunk

Agree on this.

Hear me out here....

Rielly - Zaitsev
Gardiner - Hainsey
Dermott - Ozzy
- steve362

How about

Reilly-someonethatdoesntsuckviatrade
Gardiner-Hainsey
Dermott-Zaitsev
Ozz

You mean, someone he can dish the puck to like a grenade in panic, and have said partner skate the puck out cleanly 95% of the time? Oh wait, he has that partner already.
- gravyface

I don't think he does. Gardiner has deer in headlights disease.
Stage 4, probably.
Gardiner isn't completely useless. But our two best D for actually skating the puck out would be MORRgan and Dermott.
Gardiner can skate. Well, in fact. But as soon as he gets time with the puck below our goal line, he freezes. It's actually quite comical.

I've heard former players and coaches talk about that very thing - don't make "It's your problem" passes to your partner. You're in trouble, but so is he - so you dish to him.

Gardiner doesn't do it as much as Zaitsev or Hainsey. In fact Hainsey may be the worst on the team at hand grenade passes. The Leafs D do it all too frequently. It's possibly because the forwards fly the zone too early.

Gardiner's not the reason we lost last night. He's not the reason most of the time when we lose. Lose 3-0? Blame the second goal on Gardiner. Lose 4-1? That third goal was all on Gardiner. . .

Most of the time he's trying to make something happening because things aren't happening. It's a bad risk or it's ill executed.

Yes, he screws up. But usually there's a justification behind why. Being outworked by Soderberg last night showed terrible awareness and a lack of effort and strength on the puck. Gardiner is hardly alone in that from last night.
- Monkeypunk

Jake wasn’t good on that play but he tied soderberg up sufficiently and had Mitch been back checking instead of coasting the puck was up for grabs. Also Freddie was a deer in headlights.

My takeaway from last night. Matthews is a ghost waiting for someone else to get him the puck so can try a wraparound. Since the trouba hit no driving the net just wraparounds.

I watch all the time. His cannon of a shot is good for 0 goals; 9 in his career. The reason the Leafs are so terrible at breaking up the cycle could be because Zaitsev is one of our best at breaking it up. He's not good on the boards - but none of them really are; the team is built for speed.

If you like Zaitsev, that's okay. I think he's absolutely terrible.
- Monkeypunk

His offensive results have been poor, but your analysis was way off.

"breaking up the cycle" is a complex sequence of events that involves more than one guy pinning F1 to the boards.

Whole team was bad last night; starts there.

How about

Reilly-someonethatdoesntsuckviatrade
Gardiner-Hainsey
Dermott-Zaitsev
Ozz
- Archaic

I'm picking up what you're laying down

Leaf fans need to relax, try losing an 11 in a row and then come talk to me.
I watched the game, just a couple of things - They played a desperate Colorado team that was 1-7-2 - And yeah they got out worked and looked pretty disinterested for most of the night. It’s the middle of the season I wouldn’t worry about it -
Kadri’s not the 1st or last guy Mikko is going to do that to. He happens to be a top 10 player in the league -
More concerning is Freddie’s angle on both the shortie and Mikko’s goal far side, 1st game back and all that but he needs a couple games to get his angles back.
Leafs will be fine.

Here I was thinking that deal was a can't miss after his first year over here. Shows you what giving too much term can do.
- RickJames77

He also somehow forgot how to shoot the puck since coming over from Russia...which was one of his biggest strengths...very strange.

I don't think he does. Gardiner has deer in headlights disease.
Stage 4, probably.
Gardiner isn't completely useless. But our two best D for actually skating the puck out would be MORRgan and Dermott.
Gardiner can skate. Well, in fact. But as soon as he gets time with the puck below our goal line, he freezes. It's actually quite comical.
- UsernameUnknown

Go watch the clip from last night in the 3rd period where he absorbs a hit and fires a laser stretch pass on the tape of the LW while the crowd is booing him .

In other words: Jake plays well 95% of the time; the other 5% he's prone to epic gaffs. If he wasn't, and cleaned up his misjakes, he'd be an 8M top pairing defenseman.

I'm not a fan of Gardiner, but right now he's one of our better defensemen and booing him was unwarranted. Last night everyone sucked - so boo the fracking team. Kadri looked terrible - his giveaway was pure poop, but I was more disturbed when he took some abuse at the side of the Avs net and skated away without batting an eyelash. Where's the heart and fire and leadership? Where's that edge he supposedly has/had? Quite frankly, the team looks disinterested, lazy and sloppy from top to bottom (except for Mitch!) - they better do something quick to turn it around (players, coach & GM), as the only thing they're destined for right now is a round 1 exit.
- wbodnaruk

Kadri has one of his worst games last night. He was benched for a lot of the 3rd.
The one play that irked me the most with kadri was on the first powerplay in the 1st period. They had control in the offensive zone and he tries to pass it back to the trailer. But he doesn’t throw a soft pass waiting for Rielly to get in the zone but he riffles it and Rielly can’t get in the zone fast enough and it comes out. No one was around either, but that’s the way his night went.

Go watch the clip from last night in the 3rd period where he absorbs a hit and fires a laser stretch pass on the tape of the LW while the crowd is booing him .

In other words: Jake plays well 95% of the time; the other 5% he's prone to epic gaffs. If he wasn't, and cleaned up his misjakes, he'd be an 8M top pairing defenseman.
- gravyface

I simply cannot agree with your per centages. I can't.
There is no way you can convince me that Gardiner only (frank)s up 5% of the time he touches a puck.

He also somehow forgot how to shoot the puck since coming over from Russia...which was one of his biggest strengths...very strange.
- AdamFrench

Playing with Gardiner can shatter anyone's confidence. Not an easy task. He'll bounce back fine next season.

Kadri has one of his worst games last night. He was benched for a lot of the 3rd.
The one play that irked me the most with kadri was on the first powerplay in the 1st period. They had control in the offensive zone and he tries to pass it back to the trailer. But he doesn’t throw a soft pass waiting for Rielly to get in the zone but he riffles it and Rielly can’t get in the zone fast enough and it comes out. No one was around either, but that’s the way his night went.
- bryant

To be fair everyone on our PP has been horrid. Marner, Kadri, Jake, and Rielly have all looked extra bad on the man advantage as of late.
I don't get it. I really don't.
A lot of us female dog and moan about how we are dead last in PP opportunities, but bottom line, we don't produce on the PP anyway so it really doesn't matter.

I simply cannot agree with your per centages. I can't.
There is no way you can convince me that Gardiner only (frank)s up 5% of the time he touches a puck.
- UsernameUnknown

I don't have to, go look at his numbers.

I wonder if anyone inside the GTA can see the problem coming with Mariner between his recent attitude, the old man, the all star snub and the contract issue.

It'll be entertaining if nothing else.

I don't have to, go look at his numbers.
- gravyface

There aren't any numbers that can fully describe the Jake Gardiner experience.

I wonder if anyone inside the GTA can see the problem coming with Mariner between his recent attitude, the old man, the all star snub and the contract issue.

It'll be entertaining if nothing else.
- RippedFuel

Mariner will be a Yote next season.

I wonder if anyone inside the GTA can see the problem coming with Mariner between his recent attitude, the old man, the all star snub and the contract issue.

It'll be entertaining if nothing else.
- RippedFuel

The (frank).